


On the Run

by cyke93



Category: Captain America (Movies)
Genre: Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Fugitives, Gen, M/M, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:15:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,316
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6937384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyke93/pseuds/cyke93
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve moves, in dim light, wearing only his boxers and boots. And his shield. Following his best friend sometime assassin who tried to kill him a few times now. He would laugh if they weren't being chased by the government or governments since it was a joint anti-terrorism task force that hauled them in. The story of Steve and Bucky on the run and where Steve is half naked following Bucky under the streets of Berlin. Alternate version of Civil War.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The events of Civil War happened with the exception that this story deviates from the movie at the point where everyone is arrested and arrives in Berlin.

 

Barnes, because calling himself James or Bucky doesn't seem right, calculates that it's been two hours since they departed Bucharest. Time is easily measured, a side affect from spending months, years in cryo. He cherishes his time not in the cold. A two hour flight would eliminate Rome and Rogers is here so it must be the Americans taking charge, which means Berlin, Germany. Barnes knows this city to be the headquarters of the joint anti-terrorism task force headed up by the Americans and backed by EU.

 

He estimates thirty minutes before they reach the underground base in the middle of the city and he has to decide what to do next. A part of him, a big part of him is almost relieved. His memories come and go, the nightmares remain though. He knows what the soldier did, what _he_ did, his fractured mind has pieced together a grizzly puzzle. One he does not want to solve. It doesn't matter, he already knows that when the pieces are put together, it would form a picture of blood, violence.. death. Part of him has imagined this, to be captured and for it to finally just stop. Let the end come and maybe then he can finally know the meaning of _peace_. The word is mostly an abstract concept in Barnes' mind, he knows he was at peace once but the feeling is so foreign, alien.

 

Part of him half expected that Rogers would eventually find him and come for him. But being framed for bombing the UN is not what he imagined. Steve Grant Rogers, he has many memories of him. Sometimes they even feel like his own. For the past two year, Barnes has kept a low profile and kept to himself. Barnes doesn't trust, even if its the man the books say is his best friend. Even if its the man he saved from the river. But Steve protected him, fought for him against the officers in Bucharest and the black man with claws. There's a feeling, an echo in his gut that he can trust Rogers. It's that same whisper that made him save Rogers in DC.

 

But does Steve believe him when he said he didn't do it? Intel is needed.

 

They must be nearing the base, he can hear the people and traffic from outside. He has to decide, to finally surrender.. or maybe. Just maybe.

 

“ _Why did you pull me from the river?”_

 

“ _I don't know.”_

 

“ _Yes you do.”_

 

Barnes sighs. He does know and Rogers does too. The echoes and whispers in his mind speak louder now that Rogers has made contact with him. He takes a deep breath and balls his metal hand into a fist.

 

* * *

 

 

“So you like cats?”

 

“Sam.” Rogers scolds.

 

But before anyone else can get a word out. Their van suddenly stops. There's noise and people thrown in the air and all of sudden James Barnes is by Rogers' window.. his metal arm breaking said window.

 

“BuckY!” Rogers exclaims. Sam and T'Challa look on just as surprised.

 

“What're you...”

 

“Do you believe me?” Barnes cuts Rogers off. “When I told you that I wasn't in Vienna?”

 

“You murdered my father!” T'Challa goes mad and is ripping away at the metal netting between him and Rogers.

 

On the hellicarrier, Rogers refused to fight him and risked his life to prove that he wasn't just a weapon Hydra made him out to be, that inside there was still an actual person. Will Steve lay his life on the line again to protect Barnes? Logic would say yes but Barnes has doubts and looks to Rogers, pleading to him.

 

“Yes.” Steve says softly. “I do.” He says more firmly.

 

Barnes is almost dizzy with relief. “Then come with me.” He stretches out his metal hand.

 

“Steve!” Sam warns.

 

T'Challa is ripping the metal away and the sound of footsteps and sirens are getting closer.

 

“I'm sorry Sam.” Rogers says with a sad smile and quickly grabs a hold of Bucky's arm and gets yanked out of the van.

 

“Follow me.” Bucky starts to run, grabbing his back pack and tossing Rogers his shield just in time for Rogers to throw it and knock two guards to the ground.

 

They duck behind a building, through an alley way. Barnes sees a sewer grate, lifts it up and motions for Rogers to jump in. Barnes follows shortly and the two stay quiet as they hear guards footsteps and orders being screamed out.

 

“Buck.” Rogers says as he finally has time to catch his breath.

 

Barnes doesn't correct Rogers to call him Barnes but instead pats Rogers down with the metal arm and Rogers stands still, confused and feels the pound of his chest get louder.

 

“You're bugged.” Barnes proclaims.

 

“How..” Rogers shakes his head. “Right, of course I am.” He takes off the jacket and tosses it down to the stream right below their landing.

 

But Bucky keeps padding him down, his shirt and then, _whoa_ , his jeans.

 

“Take it off.”

 

“What?”

 

“The shirt.. the jeans.”

 

“How do you know?”

 

“Micro tracker in spray foam, the metal arm can sense it.” Barnes dips his metal arm into the stream and gives it a good shake.

 

“Doesn't react well to metal so you're shield is good.”

 

Steve nods. “You know, usually we'd have dinner first.” Steve jokes as he removes his shirt.

 

Bucky looks at him with an odd confused look.

 

“Do you require nourishment?”

 

“Never mind.” Rogers shakes his head as he shimmies out of his jeans and tosses it down as well.

 

“The stream will lead out into the river.. should throw them off.”

 

“Are you sure they didn't bug you too?”

 

Bucky gives him another weird look.

 

“Right. World's deadliest assassin. I forgot.”

 

“You shouldn't.” Bucky says in a monotone voice.

 

“Yeah right.” He says softly, sadly.

 

“Come on, we have to move.”

 

Steve moves, in dim light, wearing only his boxers and boots. And his shield. Following his best friend sometime assassin who tried to kill him a few times now. He would laugh if they weren't being chased by the government or governments since it was a joint anti-terrorism task force that hauled them in.

 

They walk in a brisk pace, almost running through the sewers of Berlin. Rogers has no clue where they are and just follows Bucky's lead. They round a corner and Bucky stops.

 

“Can you hear her?”

 

“Who?”

 

“The woman above us, she's waiting for someone.”

 

Then Rogers looks up, he forgets that Bucky also has the serum as well.

 

“You're ears are probably better than mine. I hope you remember German.”

 

Rogers feels his heart skip a beat. Bucky remembers more than Rogers has been led to believe. “I'm a little rusty but... yeah she's waiting for a friend. She's on the phone, her friend is lost. She's telling him where she is.” Rogers closes his eyes to better concentrate and relaying to Bucky what the woman is saying, he's only able to translate fragments but he translates enough to give Bucky an idea of where they are.

 

“I hope I pronounced it right.” Rogers says.

 

“Close enough. Okay good, we're close.” Bucky cocks his head and motions for Rogers to follow.

 

A short time later, they stop.

 

“Ok, we're here.”

 

“Where exactly is here?”

 

“Someplace safe.” Bucky then glances at a half naked Rogers. “I should go out first.”

 

“You think?”

 

And Barnes, well he smirks at that and Rogers can't help but smirk back.

 

Barnes climbs up slowly, his hearing doesn't detect any foot traffic and he slowly raises the manhole to confirm.

 

“Clear.”

 

They move quickly and Rogers can see that they are in another back alley. They go to the side of an old building and climb down half a flight of stairs to the basement. Bucky breaks the knob with his metal hand and the two move inside. They move down a dimly lit corridor, there are doors and he can hear people through the doors. Seems like they are behind a row stores and a restaurant from what Steve can smell. Bucky stops at an electrical panel, removes a dummy breaker and Bucky is fidgeting with something and then the wall behind him slowly gives way.

 

“What is this?”

 

“Old Hydra depot, abandoned after the German unification.” Barnes pushes the wall and two move inside.

 

Barnes hits the lights which lights up another corridor and closes thew wall behind them.

 

“It's good you remember.” Steve says as he continues to follow Bucky.

 

“I choose Bucharest because it provided good cover and if I ever get caught, Berlin or Rome would be one of the places I knew your government would take me.”

 

“So this is your safe house?”

 

“Confirm.”

 

“And you have another one in Rome?”

 

Barnes nod.

 

“Damn Buck, I'm impressed. I think Nat would be too.”

 

Barnes grins at that but just as quickly. “You keep forgetting that I'm an assassin.”

 

Steve frowns at that. “Well you were always a good shot.” He throws out.

 

Barnes snorts.

 

“What?”

 

“Blisters, they hurt like a bitch when I climbed trees just cuz you couldn't watch your six.” Barnes doesn't even realize what he's saying until he's said it.

 

“Well, don't worry pal. I got your back this time.” Rogers smiles.

 

Barnes feels like his chest got tighter but luckily the door in front of him provides a much needed distraction. Bucky shakes his head and pauses for a moment then plugs some numbers in and it opens.

 

Steve closes the door behind them and finally lets out a deep breath that he's been holding ever since Bucky broke him out of the van.

 

“Someone framed me so that I would be captured. They would also know where they would take me. High probability that the underground base we were heading into has already been infiltrated, we need to...”

 

“Bucky!” Steve interrupts him.

 

Barnes whips his head around, “Right, there should be some extra clothes somewhere here.”

 

Steve steps in front of him. “Buck, shut up.” Steve tosses the shield onto a nearby desk and roughly pulls Barnes into him and hugs him tight.

 

After a few seconds, “It's good to see you again.” Steve says softly in his ear.

 

A feeling sweeps over Barnes, that at one time it was he not Rogers who towered over him. Barnes is at first surprised, but after a few seconds his body somehow knows to relax under Steve's touch and hesitantly, he hugs him back. The word _peace_ , doesn't seem so foreign anymore. It's almost within reach as he pats Roger's bare back with his flesh hand.

 

“Yeah, you too.” Barnes whispers back without meaning to.

 

Steve lets out a shaky breath as the weight of seventy years of separation start to fade away. There are questions to be asked for sure like who framed Bucky and why? Why did Bucky never contact him? What happened after DC? What happened after the train? So many questions plus the fact that they are now both fugitives but for now, before there are any more interruptions and special forces to barge in, he can finally have a moment with his buddy. His pal, His Bucky.

 

 

Steve pulls back and holds Bucky by his shoulder. Not quite the same Bucky, Rogers thinks but it doesn't matter. They're looking right into each other and Steve nods and Bucky nods back, their minds already syncing up with the other. Barnes feels like the ground is more stable with Rogers holding him still.

 

Steve removes his hands from Bucky's shoulder and then takes a step back. Barnes immediately feels his legs go wobbly.

 

“Okay, clothes first and then we can figure out who framed you Buck.”

 

In his long infamous career as the Winter Solider, Barnes has faced many mission difficulties. The challenges before him are no different now than they were in decades past but he somehow makes a small smile. For one thing, he finally has decent back up and the name _Bucky_ is starting to grow on him.

 

The End.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It's nice to see you two getting.. re-acquainted.” Natasha smirks, leaning against the door way, as she takes in the sight of a half naked Steve Rogers, one leg into a pair of dark pants. The chapter in which Natasha is thrown in into the mix. One where she is groped by Bucky and shares a dance with Steve.

 

 

* * *

 

“It's nice to see you two getting.. _re-acquainted_.” Natasha smirks, leaning against the door way, as she takes in the sight of a half naked Steve Rogers, one leg into a pair of dark pants.

 

“Nat?” Steve replies in surprise. She's always had a way of sneaking up on him, part assassin, part ninja apparently.

 

“Natalia.” Bucky replies as he crosses the room and Steve is confused as he buttons his pants up. Even more surprised when Bucky presses up against Natasha, his hand gripping her side and into her jacket around her waist. Steve doesn't even realize he's gritting his teeth until he starts to feel the pressure and teeth crack and feels even more frustrated when they start speaking Russian. Steve immediately regrets not making more time about to learn Russian. During the war, he learned enough French and German to get by. When it was clear that the Soviets had Bucky, Steve took it upon himself to learn Russian as well. But they speak too fast and can't comprehend what they are saying.

Bucky's touchy hands pull back to reveal a knife and a gun.

“Really?” Natasha huffs out as Bucky finally takes a step back, more like a half step back. “I thought we were pass this.”

“Can't be too careful.” Bucky also regains his ability to speak English.

“What the hell is going on?” Steve walks closer to them and notices just how close the two are still standing next to each other but neither of them are moving.

“You tell me.” Natasha turns her eyes to Steve now. “Sam arrives by himself with a wild story of you and the good Sargent here busting out of custody.”

“We've met before.” Bucky says bluntly at Steve but Steve's glare is telling him that he's going to need to procure more information.

Natasha finally decides to pipe in. “I found him in DC, outside the Smithsonian while you were still in the hospital recovering.”

Steve glances over at Bucky who's face slightly recoils at the mention of him being in the hospital.

“He was still sorting out his memories and wanted to be left alone.”

“You had me and Sam on a wild goose hunt chase for nothing?”

“I found him, I didn't know where he was going. There's a difference.” She adds and Steve shakes his head and gives Natasha a look of anger, sadness and betrayal.

“But it only took you a few hours to find us.” Steve challenges her.

“Figured you guys would try to go someplace safe. We are in Berlin after all and the Red Room taught me where the old safe houses were, especially in the major cities in the Eastern block.”

Natasha sighs as she sees Steve in distress. In a more gentler voice, she adds. “Look Steve, he had seventy years of people making decisions for him, he didn't want me to tell you. He seemed okay enough, nothing like the murderous assassin we fought with so I respected his choice. And after meeting him, I figured your wild story that he pulled you from the river might be true. I gave him cash, some gear and a burner phone with both our numbers on it.”

Steve nods his head. “Th.. thank you.” He says very quietly and looking to the ground. He hated to admit it but she was right. He had similar conversations with both Sam and Natasha that he would never try to take any choices away from Bucky.

“Why?” He glances as Bucky, his eyes pleading for an answer.

Bucky opens his mouth to say something but clamps it shut. He finally backs away, grabbing a shirt and tossing it to Steve. “We have bigger problems right now.”

Natashs looks between them, Steve and Bucky in the middle of an epic stare down. Finally, she pipes in.

“Agreed. Sam says that you believe that Barnes here is being framed?”

“He didn't do it Nat.”

She believes him.

* * *

 

“You set up a bomb at the UN, you have seven billion people looking for the Winter Solider.”

Natasha contemplates, “You can't find the Winter Soldier but you can flush him out and find out where he's being taken to.”

Bucky only shakes in agreement.

“Shit.” Natasha rises. “I should get back.”

“The place could already be compromised.” Steve says, the memory of the fall of SHIELD still vivid in his mind.

“Rhody is still in Romania doing clean up.” She's glaring at the both of them now but then her expression softens, “but at least Tony is there.”

“I'd never thought I'd see the day that you and Tony would be best friends.” Steve teases.

“Believe me, I want to take everything back.” She smirks and Bucky feels slightly unease at the joking nature and familiarity between the two. Clearly, Steve and Natasha had been through a lot together. And the feeling of being out of the loop, especially when it comes to Steve does not sit well with him. He starts to question why he never made contact sooner.

“Can you trust him, with this I mean. I don't know what the accords can and can't let you do.”

“The accords has us binded, we have to go dark. Stark can be used to run interference with Ross. He doesn't need to be let in the loop for that.

“Sharon.” Steve adds and clears his throat. “Sharon Carter will be there. I trust her.”

What's up with the smirk Natasha gives Steve, Bucky thinks. And who the hell is Sharon?

 

* * *

They're back in the sewers again but at least this time Steve has clothes on. They are on their way to another safe house, an apartment in a different section of the city, one with more supplies and windows for starters while they wait for Natasha to find out more information and figure out their next move.

“Why?” Steve breaks the silence. “If you remembered me, why didn't you contact me?”

“Remembering you and knowing you are two different things.” Bucky replies.

Steve opens his mouth, wanting to say more but Bucky isn't in the mood to talk. “Come on.” He motions his head and Steve clamps his mouth shut, for now.

They make it to Natasha's safe house, where there is a warm shower, clothes and food. Bottles of water and protein bars. They taste like crap but they both have eaten worst.

Bucky still seems raw around the edges so Steve decides not to push the issue. They do have bigger things going on at the moment that they need to focus on that. A burner phone is left behind in the apartment, which rings, “I'm on my way, I have news.” Natasha says.

 

* * *

“Time to suit up, Cap.” Natasha smirks.

“For the record, I don't like this plan.”

“Vision and Wanda are still stateside, Tony's trying to put on the fires you started, they won't let Sam leave and Barne's metal arm is going to attract attention.”

“And Captain America won't?”

“That's what the hair dye is for.”

“Steve, suck it up.” Bucky finally pipes in, takes a seat and hands Rogers a pair of scissors. “You're not the only one having to get a make over.”

Natasha looks on with a smug look on her face. She grabs the garment bag she brought with her and goes into one of the rooms to shower and change.

Bucky removes his shirt as he sits and Steve begins to cut his hair. It's a sense of familiarity he hasn't experienced since before the war. They were both too broke to afford most things, including hair cuts but Steve was always the artistic one. He could draw, sculpt with clay and was a decent hand with scissors. He felt it earlier, where metal met flesh and he tries not to stare at it and continue to cut his hair, not as short as he had it during the war, but at least short enough to not look like the Winter Solider.

“For the record, I don't like this plan too.” Bucky says.

“Yeah, that means it'll probably work.”

And their both smiling without even realizing it.

_A forest, the smell of gunpowder. A tent with a map and pieces scattered like a game of chess. Six men and one super solider. Another factory with at least three dozen HYDRA agents and a tank. A frenchman, a bomb (three in fact), a plan._

“ _This shit is crazy.” Bucky turns to Steve. A nod._

“ _That means it'll probably work.”_

 

* * *

His hair is shorter and dirty blond now, he relaxes his face as he carries a guitar case over his shoulder, one hand in his pocket. The night crowd pays him no mind and he ducks into a dark alleyway and climbs the fire escape to the the roof top of the building. He opens up the guitar case, revealing a rifle and a scope. He sets up shop and looks through the scope, looking at the club across the street with their big floor to ceiling windows.

“In position.” He says over his comm.

“Roger that.” Natasha replies back and turns to Steve. “We're up.”

Steve sighs as he swings his arms over Natasha's shoulder. She too is now blond and his hair dark but spiked up and his face itches because he hasn't shaved in over 24 hours, a slight stubble. He's in jeans a shirt and a blazer, her in a tight small number, they look like anyone of the revelers trying to party tonight. Natasha flashes a bright smile and a 100 Euros to the bouncer and they cut the ridiculously long line and are in.

Natasha kept Tony in the dark for now, only saying that she's working her contacts to figure out where Steve and Barnes have gone. He's too close to Secretary Ross and he'll at least have plausible deniability. Sharon though was former SHIELD and she gets the spy game. Apparently, what is good for Captain America is good for her to. She feeds Natasha intel. They have one lead, a delivery to the local power plant. An EMP that was never detonated. One that could've brought the entire city, including the Joint Terrorism facilities in central Berlin, into the dark. They were right, someone is after Barnes. Local officials traced the designs to a local felon, Gunther Strauss who likes to frequent this club but someone, someone apparently leaked it out that he left the city and is on his way West to France.

“Eyes open. He can be anywhere here.” Steve and Natasha move through the crowd. They make it to the bar where she orders drink.

“Nat.” Steve scolds.

“What, you can't get drunk.”

“And you?”

“High tolerance.”

He's glaring at her now.

“Relax boy scout, we're supposed to be blending in remember.”

“Let's just find Strauss.” Steve takes his drink and gulps it down easily. Tasty at least.

Then the music changes that has the whole crowd going back into the dance floor. Steve's ears perk up.

“Oh come on, let's go.” Natasha is pulling on his arms.

“Nat.”

“Just _One Dance_.” She teases, knowing fully well what's on his playlist and what song he bobs his head up and down to.

He relents and lets her lead him to the dance floor. He likes the song, catchy, rhythmic beat, nothing too fast, he can actually move to it.

Bucky eyes them on the scope carefully, when did Steve learn to dance? Well more like swaying to the music without looking like a complete idiot and then, and then she moves closer. A lot closer. It's clear she's taking the lead and Steve's letting her, she takes his hands in hers and what the fuck, do people have any decency anymore. She's pressed up so close to him now, their bodies seemingly like one swaying into the music. He can hear her laugh from the com.

“Who knew you had moves on and off the field?”

He blushes. He fucking blushes. Bucky grips the rifle harder, his fingers twitchy as he eyes the redhead on the scope. The thought of firing is a pleasant one and then he moves over to Steve and thinks about how quickly he can end both of them. Another pleasing thought.

“On your six.” He says harshly on the com a moment later.

“What?” Rogers replies.

“Pay. The. Fuck. Attention. Your six.”

And there's target. But the redhead doesn't stop, she continues to sway to the music, leading them closer to their target.

“Let's get to work.” She says with a smile.

 

* * *

Barnes meets them up in the back of the building but stays in the shadows. Steve also hangs back and lets Natasha do her thing. He notices Bucky but he glances at him. Bucky expression is cold and dark and for a second, he thinks he's met back up with the Winter Soldier.

“ _I don't know him, he paid me cash_.” He says in German as Natasha leads the interrogation. But luckily this sleaze ball is paranoid, had surveillance video that he pulls it up on his phone.

The Redhead is good, Bucky gives her that. They get a face at least.

Bucky processes their new info. Natasha places a call to “a Sharon”, then some talk and finally a name, Zemo. Some more digging and records and last known location. Cleveland.

They get cleaned up back in the safe house, the hair dyes aren't permanent and washes away quickly. Natasha arranges transport but since both of them are on the run, they are stowaways in the cargo hold of a plane that's barely large enough to fit both super soldiers inside. Buycky sighs, an eight hour flight, crammed in with Captain America. He's been through worst missions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy 4th of July. Happy Birthday Steve Rogers. Thanks to all those who enjoyed the first chapter, I think I had enough interest to warrant a second chapter. This chapter was inspired while listening to the radio and the thought of Steve and Natasha dancing to this song. Bonus points if someone figures out what the song is, lol. Sebastian Stan recently had to dye his hair blond for a role so that's what he is pictured like in this story and Steve looks more like Chis Evans but not as clean shaven. I hope you enjoy and let me know if you want more.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed ! leave a message. I have ideas of where this story can go if people are interested otherwise, I think it works as a one-shot.


End file.
